Later Start Times For Students Considered By AACPS

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — At the latest Anne Arundel County board of education meeting, officials discussed changing start times for students. Prismatic Services, a consulting firm, recently recommended approximately two dozen transportation-related changes for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, including two recommendations for changing start times.

One recommendation would adjust the start time for elementary students to 8 a.m. and the start time for middle and high school students would move to 9 a.m. A second proposal would have elementary schools starting at 7:30 a.m., high schools at 8:15 a.m. and middle schools at 9 a.m.

Currently, the first period of high school begins at 7:30 a.m., which happens to be an hour earlier than what scientific experts recommend for middle and high school students. Melissa Ellis, vice president of the school board, expressed her concern about current start times.

“This is a health issue. It is recognized by every major health and mental health organization,” she said.

Board member Dana Schallheim alluded to studies conducted by Virginia’s Fairfax County and other school systems that showed “amazing” results when schools switched to later start times.

Annapolis High School teacher Erin Lorenz spoke at the meeting and shared that her students are drowsy in first period. She sees her students consuming a considerable amount of caffeine just to stay awake.

"What teacher benefits from students arriving to school overtired and potentially overfed?” she said.